Semiconductor light source

Abstract

A semiconductor light source is disclosed. In one embodiment, a semiconductor light source includes at least one semiconductor laser for generating a primary radiation and at least one conversion element for generating a longer-wave visible secondary radiation from the primary radiation, wherein the conversion element for generating the secondary radiation comprises a semiconductor layer sequence having one or more quantum well layers, and wherein, in operation, the primary radiation is irradiated into the semiconductor layer sequence perpendicular to a growth direction thereof, with a tolerance of at most 15°.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A semiconductor light source comprising:
 at least one semiconductor laser configured to generate a primary radiation; and 
 at least one conversion element configured to generate a longer-wave visible secondary radiation from the primary radiation, the conversion element comprising: 
 a continuous base region; 
 semiconductor columns extending away from the base region; and 
 a semiconductor layer sequence having one or more quantum well layers; 
 wherein the semiconductor columns serve as waveguides for the primary radiation in direction parallel to a growth direction of the semiconductor layer sequence, 
 wherein, in operation, the primary radiation is irradiated into the semiconductor layer sequence perpendicular to a growth direction thereof, with a tolerance of at most 15°, and 
 wherein the primary radiation couples from the at least one semiconductor laser into the base region and via the base region into the semiconductor columns. 
 
     
     
       2. The semiconductor light source according to  claim 1 , wherein the quantum welllayers are three-dimensionally shaped so that the quantum well layers have kinks when viewed in cross section and are oriented at least in places obliquely to the growth direction of the semiconductor layer sequence. 
     
     
       3. The semiconductor light source according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein a main radiation direction of the semiconductor light source is oriented parallel to the growth direction, with a tolerance of at most 15°, and an emission angle range has a half-width of at most 90°, and 
 wherein the semiconductor laser and the conversion element are grown epitaxially independently of one another and do not touch each other. 
 
     
     
       4. The semiconductor light source according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the quantum well layers are arranged on the semiconductor columns, 
 wherein an emission of at least one of the secondary radiation or of the primary radiation from the semiconductor columns occurs to at least 50% on tips of the semiconductor columns. 
 
     
     
       5. The semiconductor light source according to  claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor columns have an average diameter of between 0.5 μm and 20 μm inclusive, and a ratio of a mean height of the semiconductor columns and the average diameter is between 3 and 26 inclusive. 
     
     
       6. The semiconductor light source according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the quantum well layers are pyramid shaped or are composed of pyramid shapes, and 
 wherein the quantum well layers are surrounded by further layers of the semiconductor layer sequence on two main sides lying opposite one another. 
 
     
     
       7. The semiconductor light source according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the quantum well layers are configured to generate different wavelengths of the secondary radiation, and 
 wherein a spectral half-width of the secondary radiation, which is generated by the quantum well layers, is at least 60 nm. 
 
     
     
       8. The semiconductor light source according to  claim 1 , wherein the conversion element additionally comprises at least one luminous material. 
     
     
       9. The semiconductor light source according to  claim 8 , wherein the luminous material is doped with at least one rare earth. 
     
     
       10. The semiconductor light source according to  claim 8 , wherein the luminous material is selected from the group consisting essentially of oxide, nitride, oxynitride, garnet, sulfide, silicate, phosphate and halide. 
     
     
       11. The semiconductor light source according to  claim 1 , wherein an emission surface of the semiconductor laser for the primary radiation is smaller by at least a factor of 100 than an emission surface of the conversion element for the secondary radiation. 
     
     
       12. The semiconductor light source according to  claim 1 , wherein, in the direction perpendicular to the growth direction, the semiconductor layer sequence is as a waveguide for the primary radiation. 
     
     
       13. The semiconductor light source according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the primary radiation does not leave the semiconductor light source during operation, and 
 wherein a wavelength of maximum intensity of the primary radiation is between 360 nm and 490 nm inclusive. 
 
     
     
       14. The semiconductor light source according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one semiconductor laser and the at least one conversion element are monolithically integrated.